My NUBM08 Beater.

[RedCowboy]

This is actually a 455nm NUBM08 and the color difference is visible.

It's an ugly spud but it has great run time and I literally throw it in the freezer for 30 seconds when it gets warm and go back at it, when I beat this NUBM08 to death I will go back with a NUBM44, they are not as pretty of a blue but are a little stronger if you push them to 4.7 amps, but this 08 at 4.0 amps does get more battery life and it is a prettier blue, but I'm just a power junkie.

I have been using my 6X cyl pair and a sanwu 3X for a real good set up on the NUBM44 with a sanwu G2.

I also for a quick set up use a 3 element and a sanwu 3X that burns good at 1-20 feet where I like to play but the NUBM08 is a little down on power as I run mine at 4.0 amps and it struggles sometimes with the 3 element and 3X.

Well I tried a sanwu long barrel G7 that focuses at about 1.5 turns with the 3X after and that made a noticeable difference.

This expedient workhorse host has 2 cooling passages and the screws on the sides are roll stops so it wont roll away when I set it down. It's ugly but gives me good play time and I shove it in the freezer for 30 seconds then go back at it, LOL.

Anyway this is another case for the G7 being a more efficient lens than the 3 element, it is a single element with a long 7-8mm FL.

It's early AM and would be very dark but I have my 100W advertised LED floodlight on, that thing really lights the place up.
I will buy some 500w units when they get cheap. Interesting how my camera shunts when the laser is on making the background darker, the nubm08 at 455nm is bright at night.

---------edit---------
Ok 1 More trick I use with Sanwu's excellent 3X expander and adaptor is I cut out paper washers to fine tune my shims to set my primary 3 element/G2/G7 lens, I focus to 15 feet and screw it down tight, the expander will give you an open flame from 1 to 20 feet, it's fun but as always wear those laser safety glasses and be careful.

 

[GSS]

RedC, you are an absolute NUT and I love every second of it:tsk::tsk::beer::beer:

 

[Lifetime17]

Hi Red,
Thats a great burner at that distance 20ft wow from a 3X BE. I have a 10X on a Sinner 465nm and it burns at 32ft never tested further . great build and pics nice huge sink to and venting holes. might have to get a few 3X BE and adapters soon.

Rich

 

[RedCowboy]

Thanks GSS :beer: I have fun and can't get enough of it, bring on the 15 watt diodes so I can cube a pair. :eg:


I love Sanwu's 3X because it is designed for our MM diodes, it works well with the highly divergent NUBM44 and makes it fun, and the adaptors are metal, I do drill out the center hole just a little but that's easy with even a hand drill and a pair of plyers.

One side of the adaptor fits our 9mm lenses G2/G7/3 element, just screw the lens in until it is tight and the other side screws onto the expander, you can lock down your primary G2/G7/3 element by pushing your 12mm module into your heatsink and using the set screw or simply shim the space between the adaptor and your heatsink for a tight solid fit, I lock my primary focus in at 15 feet but you can experiment.

Screw your 3 element into the adaptor, add shims or use your heatsink setscrew to set the focus of that 3 element to about 15 feet and screw it down tight focused around 15 feet then simply screw on the 3X expander, they are so worth adding to your laser, with the NUBM44 the shim is only about 3 mm thick and you can use smaller washers, I just used some I had on hand even though they are big and ugly, I will get some smaller ones later.

These make a fantastic difference, they are technically 3.3X so that's a little bonus, if podo ever makes a 5X or 7X you can bet I will buy some.

That's a NUBM44 in the background with a 3 element, it only needed 2 metal washers and 1 paper, my copper module sticks out a little to keep trash out when I remove the lens and I use a mounting type heat paste that dries hard so that's why I have that gap at the back, but I could do it like that with aluminum washers for added air cooling surface area.

 

[CDBEAM777]

YES...Tis a slightly " Ugly Spud"....but boy...it gets the job done !!! Nice adaptation !!!

Looks like it all fits....and tight too !! Thanx for sharing !! CDB

 

[RedCowboy]

The 3 element or G7 with 3X is a quick easy way to get some fun out of the very highly divergent nubm44/08 and as the junction is one on top of the other there is no real alignment to mess with as long as your diode is pressed in straight and you don't use slanted washers, lol.

But the best way so far that I have found to milk performabce out of a NUBM44 diode is to use a sanwu G2 followed by a LSP 6X cyl pair to correct the fast axis and then the 3X expander, that will ignite cardboard at 75 feet which is all the room I have I my backyard and up close at 5 feet the normally orange spot seen through my survival lasers/Eagle Pair OD+6 glasses is a brilliant white/orange.

I should build them all this way but alignment is critical and I don't have a mill, I have been looking for one.

This ugly buy very functional spud was named by a member my moped muffler. The 6X pair is set with UV glue while running, that's the only way I can get the alignment just right, with my Eagle Pair OD+6 on my face to save my eyes of course.

I usually lock down my primary lens but sanwu's G2 has zero thread play and stays put, I can actually adjust it but a midpoint set of 15-20 feet works well and I never need to adjust the primary, it would only be a fraction of a turn to tweak zero from 20 to 75 feet anyway and the 3X makes that work just fine. Again I find 15-20 feet to be a good primary zero.

I can imagine a condensed version with a shorter duty cycle, when I get a manual mill I want to see how small I can build one, maybe with a telescopic reducer in place of the expander for a fixed focus pocket meanie.

 

[10fenny]

I like the corrective lens barrel setup you got. Need some whenever I get around to building a rgb projector.. Cool Frankenstein build

 

[RedCowboy]

Thanks 10fenny, it started out as a test bed so I could adjust the primary on the fly but I discovered that the sanwu G2 and 6X pair fit the 3X expander where the standard G2 would not, but I am still in the trial phase.

I recommend having a sanwu G2 on hand if using the expander after beam shaping, if beam shaping only the standard G2 is fine.

This is a DTR G2 and a 6X cyl pair and it works fine, but lock down your G2 focus as there is some lens thread play, the sanwu fits snug, also the FL appears to be different.

For use with the 6X only the DTR G2 is cleaner.

I like the big heavy steam punk heatsinks because I can run for 5 minutes in the summer and 10 minutes in the winter, that's with high quality low resistance IMR 26650 cells.

 

[10fenny]

Looks like I need some alum blocks and a bandsaw.... and... and... and... no wonder nothing gets done

 

[RedCowboy]

Don't get me wrong, I am not an artistic builder, but I like to enjoy the lasers and make do with minimal tools and want to inspire others to do so as well, it's really easy once you get started.

I have a chop saw with a non ferrous metal blade and a drill press and a hacksaw with some paitence, I just do it like a caveman, I do want a lathe and a manual mill but can't justify the cost.

I buy 2 inch round stock off ebay and 2 inch ID 1/4 inch wall tube and hand sand it to fit finishing with fine grit, the fit is already close, the other parts I just make by hand.

But a 3 element and sanwu 3X expander with sanwu adaptor can be done with nothing but washers and it is fun to get that power off the desktop.

It's for fun so take your time and work on something with what you have, any flashlight body that holds 2 or 3 26650 cells will work, you can make a flat plug and screw it together, but do buy a drill and tap set, they are 5 dollars at home depot or buy from ebay 6/32 and 8/32. 8/32 are stronger.

Some guys do beautiful work, but I like to play and there is nothing wrong with building something a bit clunky but solid that you enjoy, I enjoy seeing everything others build and appreciate it all.
----edit-----
The 5-7 watt diodes really need some mass or active cooling to work for minutes at a time, but you can build small if you keep a short duty cycle, also unlike this little 405nm build the nubm44 also needs more battery, a pair of 18650 IMR's are as small as I would go, guys have attempted one 18650 and a boost and it's just hardly able to supply diodes like the 44.
Have fun and as always remember safety first. :beer:

 

[10fenny]

you need to now have a liquid cooled heatsink thats rigged up to an aquarium chiller!!

 

[RedCowboy]

I have played with some 92 watt TEC pads but a finned sink and a fan can extend runtime dramatically too, the TEC pads are good when the heatsink material cant move the diodes heat fast enough just as a water cooled sink, but we move the heat, we just don't shed it as fast as the diode makes it.
A small fan and a finned sink arrangement would be much more compact I think.
Something like a big Maglite with fins inside from the core to the body and a fan at the back.

 

[Pman]

You sure build some interesting laser clubs Red I think you are the king of functional on cycle burning and you and Alaskan get major props for the proper use of beam expanders. What I like is that you really build to actually use them for a function. I only have one laser that I've used for long periods of time to burn something with and not worry about blowing (a 3.3W 9mm 445nm that I bought a few years ago built by Rick Trent) as it has a larger than usual heatsink. Its actually in an MX900 which you use a lot. Everything else I only turn on long enough to get some pics or measure output. There a lot of freedom in what you do.

 

[RedCowboy]

Oh man I love it, I can always find a need for more power. :eg:

Lately I take one laser in each hand and turn them on and off with my chin, safety glasses on and pointed to the ground of course.

The corner of my chin works well with the MX-900 switch, and getting 12+ watts in one small spot is great fun, I really need to cube some then I can double up and have 24 watts, I have several new nubm44 diodes and several 6X pairs, I just need some good PBS cubes, bounce mirrors and wave plates. I have 4 of sanwu's 3X expanders but they are all in use so I need to order more of those, boy would I love for him to make a 7X to work with our MM diodes.

I want to use good cubes with low loss.
These look good and I think Lightsuperglue said he used them.

Polarizing Beam Splitting Cube PBS DPSS Laser 445nm 635nm 532nm Laser Didoe | eBay

 

[Pman]

What would really be something is if we could squeeze the 7W beams we have now down to the size of a pin head or less without loss of output. With what is available now I wonder where the line is drawn between dot and raw output for the strongest burning capability if you follow me.

 

[RedCowboy]

Burning is an interesting study via laser. Working with wood for instance, a very tight needle thin beam obliterates the material in the needle thin beam path but will not impart energy into the adjacent material in enough volume to exceed flashpoint, such as in this video with a G2 lens focused to a tiny bar/spot, however if the wood is moved to where the spot is bigger energy heats enough area to exceed the flashpoint.

Now to ignite something like a 2 x 4 enough raw power is needed to heat enough of the material to exceed the flashpoint, otherwise material is heated into smoke, if enough energy can be focused to a point fast enough a flame kernel will ignite, but depending on the material thickness a certain amount of raw energy is needed to sustain ignition until it achieves a level of heat in the bulk of the material that the small flame kernel can grow, otherwise it is only sustained as long as the focused beam is applied.

No matter how tight you focus 5mw of laser energy, even if you let it impart energy for an hour straight, it's not enough to ignite a 2 x 4.

So along with the ability to focus energy a large enough volume of energy is also needed for thicker material, although sometimes pumping in heat with a slightly defocused beam can build up energy until larger material can be flashed over with a focused beam.

Quantity has a quality of it's own as they say, a 1 inch wide beam will burn down an outhouse if it's 1000 watts worth much faster than a pin head sized beam 1/2000 of the 1 inch size beams area.

However 1 watt focused to 1 inch wont light a match stick, but focused to 1/500th of an inch it will.

So to light a 2 x 4 with 7 watts takes a focused spot and many minutes of time as well as a technique, plus that wood needs to be very dry, 100 watts would be much better even if not focused but to 1000% the area of the 7 watt laser.

Now if a dry leaf bed is lit then an entire forest could burn, but it's a chain reaction and not simply the lasers power.

You can't get a 7 watt beam tight enough to cut through a tree, the ash in the tiny cut would block the beam, with compressed air you could work through a tree over several days with a highly focused 7 way laser.

But a 7000 watt laser, now we are cooking with gas.